Not So Innocent After All
by FandomsAreEverything
Summary: After leaving Harry with the Dursleys, the Potters didn't realize how far they would go to punish the boy for ruining their perfect family. The boy, smarter than the average bear, ran away, and found Tony, a spunky neko who loves him more than the world. The world wants him back, but are they ready for him? Manipulative!Dumbledore. HarryxMany. False BWL. Slash. Rating may go up.
1. Chapter 1

**If I owned Harry Potter, I would be living in a mansion somewhere warm. But no. I'm freezing my ass off here. Enjoy. **

Some days were good days. Some days, Tony could get up to twenty dollars, and Harry could get the same amount, if not more from begging and pickpocketing. Some days, like today, Tony was reminded just how lucky he was as he sunk his teeth into a piping hot piece of pizza that he and Harry had just bought. They had a small box between them. An entire box! That was enough to feed them both for three days! Tony and Harry did pretty well for themselves some days. They didn't even have to say anything to each other. Tony knew that he could bring a smile to Harry's face with a silly word or twitching his ears on these days.

He had someone to protect him.

Well, it wasn't that Tony couldn't fight, but it was always good to have someone looking after you on the streets. Especially someone like Tony.

There were the Prowlers. They were new here. Scouring the streets for orphans and runaways who were unusually pretty or somehow special so they could sell them. Like Tony and Harry.

Harry was incredible, in Tony's eyes. Sixteen years old, but already 6'1 and about one seventy pounds of lean muscle. He had black hair and pale skin, and he was impossibly good looking. His features were sharpened and angled from living on the streets, and his eyes were dark and brooding, cunning, almost. And he had his magic. That made him a good catch for the Prowlers.

Tony was attractive to them in a different way. He was lithe, skinny, and pretty strong, too. He stood at about 5'2, which was a good height for them to sell as a soft sub. Someone that the master only cares for and orders around, not one like they would sell Harry to. And that was the main reason he didn't want to get caught. He and Harry wouldn't be sold together. Tony's eyes were an unremarkable blue to those who just glanced at him, but to those who he let see, they were a soft purple color. And his ears were special too.

Tony is what the Wizarding World liked to call a neko, but Tony found that incredibly degrading. The word was, Tony thought, Japanese for 'cat' and he wasn't a cat! He was a homo felis, a superior in every sense of the word to the stupid, mundane wizard! He didn't want to be chained up and treated like some sort of animal because he had a few feline characteristics! The cat ears were useful. He could hear a conversation clearly from three miles away if he concentrated, and the tail helped him with balance. The slitted pupils helped him to see in the dark, and helped his eyes adjust to light. And he could run pretty fast, too, but he wasn't sure if that was due to living on the streets, or his powers.

But he wasn't thinking of all that. Today, Tony was only focused on the pizza in his mouth. They'd had enough left today for the pizza, and Harry had let him splurge and they'd gotten a whole carton full of water bottles. That was the best gift anyone could give him. Clean drinking water was almost impossible to find in the streets of Paris.

Yeah, some days were good.

Even the worst of bad days was better than the bad days back where either used to be. Neither had ever wanted to go back.

Harry had left his hell when he was ten years old. His had been at the end of his uncle's belt, and in the cold stares of his neighbors. The plain uncaring for someone once they'd been deemed 'a delinquent'. Whoo, if only they could see him now. Tony allowed himself a small giggle. Harry had managed to find himself an old leather jacket, and he always had a black shirt on. Tony, on the other hand, was more soft. He had pulled a thick, woolen jacket off a bum and gotten away without him being the wiser. He was good at that. Thievery was one of Tony's strong suits.

But he didn't worry about that now. Right now, all he worried about was getting a bite of pizza into Harry's mouth every time that he tried to speak. He did pretty well. Only, after a few times, Harry got smart and caught his arm, taking the pizza and popping it into his mouth, then leaning down and planting a soft kiss on Tony's lips.

Yes, today was a very good day.

Some days were bad though.

Some days, he could barely move. Some days, he and Harry were pressed against each other to protect from the cold, unable to get even pennies. Some days, they curled up together, their only hung over the backs of chairs so they could dry. "I'm afraid," he would say.

And Harry, always the protector, would wrap his long arms around the boy and, without fail, say, "I love you. I will protect you. You have nothing to fear." So, Tony didn't. He just sat there, huddled in Harry's arms, trying to find a comfortable way to sit. He didn't like those days.

… Buuuut… the good days usually came after the bad days. So he could suffer through those bad days for the good days.

And then there were the really bad days.

Tony usually hid his ears under a beanie he wore. Harry thought it cute, but Tony hadn't seen himself in ages. He thought it looked cuter on Harry anyway.

Some of the gangs were curious about the boys though. They knew the two were special, hell, they'd fought off seven members of one of the biggest and baddest by themselves. Beaten them to hell and back. Well, Harry had. Tony had only beaten two of them. And he hadn't liked the feeling. Tony had cried after he'd seen what he could do. But Harry had comforted him. Said that it was okay, he'd done what he had to do. He needed to keep together. For both their sakes. But Harry was sweet with him. He'd indulged him, picking him up and carrying him back to their hide out.

The gangs mostly left them alone now. They paid a hundred bucks a month, and they weren't touched. Especially not Tony.

But sometimes Harry didn't come home.

Oh, he knew what had happened. He'd been caught pickpocketing or something and had been taken to a boy's home. He was 16, after all. But Tony, oh, Tony worried for him something fierce. They'd been marked as a target for some of the other gangs. None of them wanted to leave them alone because there were whispers of Tony being able to steal impossible things, and of Harry being able to fight like a demon. Everyone either wanted them or wanted them dead.

There were times when Harry came back bloody and bruised, barely able to stand. Tony immediately slipped under his arm and helped them to whatever they were using as a bed tonight. Often, it was only their coats laid side by side.

He then took their ever depleting supply of clean bandages from his pocket and wrapped all of his wounds and stitched what needed it. He hated having to hurt Harry, but it was only natural.

And then… Harry didn't come back at all.

Harry insisted that they move every ten days, but this time, Tony couldn't listen. How would Harry find him again? He just… he couldn't leave!

When Harry came back, he was furious. He'd smacked Tony, the only time he'd ever laid a hand on the boy. Tony, who had been knocked to the floor, looked up, hurt and confused as to what he'd done wrong. The things was, he accepted it. After a moment, he dropped his eyes. He put his hand to his cheek and smiled softly. "It's okay." He'd been expecting it. It had never happened again.

Yeah, the really bad days were awful.

But the good days were good. And Tony cherished them, so he endured the bad days, because he loved Harry. And that's what you do when you love someone.

**AN: Thank you for making it this far. I haven't done much in a while, and this is the first thing I'm posting. Review, please, tell me what I'm doing wrong and please let me fix it. This is the backstory. I'll be telling the rest of the story in a different writing style. **


	2. Chapter 2

**If I owned Harry Potter, I would be living in a mansion somewhere warm. But no. I'm freezing my ass off here. Enjoy. **

**ALSO! I have decided that this is HarryxMany. Not only Tony, so if that makes you uncomfortable, please don't continue. **

Get up, we have to go.

"Wh-What?"

"We need to leave. Now. Someone followed me from the street. Grab your coat." Tony's eyes finally opened. "They're magic." Tony shot up, on his feet in half a second. "Are you ready for a run, love?"

"Always." And he grabbed his jacket and backpack and ran out the back door, Harry at his heels. Tony always slowed himself down a little for Harry when they ran together. They were always a little faster than anyone else, Harry from adding a bit of his magic into his speed, and Tony because he was faster than normal people.

Tony heard a couple of people curse and begin to run after him, then he heard a word that he'd never heard before and a half second later a green curse flew past his head. "T-They're shooting to kill, Harry! They're trying to kill us!"

"I know. I know. Don't be afraid. Come on, babe." Harry sped up and turned a corner. Tony slowed, allowing Harry to lead. Harry had a better grasp on magic than he did, and he knew the streets much better. It wasn't easy to fight trained magicians, but both of them knew they had to run. And keep away from people while they were at it. Neither wanted anyone hurt. The wizards, Death Eaters, Tony was sure of it, didn't care about hurting the non-magic folk. But Tony liked them! Harry shot a few spells behind them, and Tony wished that he'd learned more magic so he could help! Or that he'd pulled out his gun before they ran so he could help Harry! They didn't have much ammunition left, though, and it was buried in his bag. After turning several corners, Harry pulled them into a dark alleyway behind a trashcan and bid Tony to be silent as the men ran past.

Harry smiled at the young neko under his arm. "See. I told you we that you didn't have to be afraid. I told you I'd protect you. Didn't you believe me?" He stood up and pulled Tony up as well.

"Think we lost them?" Tony asked hopefully. The honesty in his voice was endearing, and Harry pulled him close and kissed his forehead.

Tony smiled up at him, hoping that meant good news. "Most likely, no. Only an idiot would stay here. They'll probably think we ran for a couple blocks." Harry looked across the street and saw that they were very near a soup kitchen that they often visited. "Let's get something to eat, okay? I know you're hungry." Tony nodded and silently followed Harry. They moved up through the line silently and got their food, sitting down at one of the tables. "We'll stay here for an hour, then we'll find a new hide out. On someone else's turf. I'm going to keep you safe from these godforsaken wizards."

"Don't hurt yourself. If you're safe, I wouldn't care if I went back. I know that we're supposed to stay together, and I would hate to be separated, but… I love you too much to see you hurt, Ry," Tony said gently. He reached over the table and took Harry's hand in one clad in fingerless woolen gloves. "I love you."

"Yeah. I love you too." And afterwards, they ate their food in silence. They'd already said what needed to be said. Afterwards, they got up and left with a quiet thanks, holding hands. They didn't know what to do now. Tony knew that Harry didn't know what to do, but he liked to pretend. Make it up as they went along, all the while pretending that he had a plan. He didn't like the fact being outed that he had no plan. He walked into an alleyway with Tony close behind and stopped to lean his shoulder against the wall to face Tony. "We'll… We'll go to the territory of the Krimsonz." One of the other gangs that sometimes bothered the two boys. "They offered us a place, should we take it. It would help to have some back up. I don't like putting them in danger, but… I still haven't paid them back for the time that they cut you up. Gave you this scar." Harry ran his hand down Tony's side, indicating the scar that ran down the length of his body.

Tony only shrugged. "I-It's only a scar now. It doesn't even hurt." It was the truth. He had much worse scars, though he was lucky to have escaped most of the ones he could have had. Many of the cuts he'd gotten over the years should have scarred, but they didn't, thanks to Harry's knowledge of magic.

"I don't like that you've been hur-" A red beam hit Harry in the back making him drop like a stone, and Tony screamed. He didn't know much about magic at all, but red had always meant bad to him. Reacting in a second, he leaned down to listen and feel for a heartbeat and breathing, and was relieved when he found both. Harry was alive. That's all that mattered to the small boy. He knew that he had to get Harry out of the alley, but he couldn't pick him up! Tony was tiny, and Harry had to be at least twice as heavy as he was.

Tony did the only thing he could think to do. He turned on his heel a nd knelt, baring his teeth. He hated using magic. It made his tummy feel weird, and his chest feel tight. And there was the _power. _It felt too intoxicating. Muggle fighting was much easier, better for him.

Three people came into the alleyway, and Tony's fear spiked. No. Wizards were no longer going to run his life. He would get out of this. He would. "Touch him, and I will rip you apart, _wizard." _He spat the last word like a curse. He hated wizards as a whole, but he liked certain ones. He loved Harry. "I-I don't know what you did to him but fix him! Please…" Tony was not above begging. "Fix my Ry, please. Please."

One of the people, the shaggier male, the one with longer, wavier hair, almost looked apologetic. "Sorry, kid." And his wand raised up, a word on his lips, and Tony dived out of the way, the spell crashing straight into the wall behind him.

"Don't! D-Don't… Please." He knew better than to run. "Please. Let me stay awake. I don't know what you did to him, and I need to… I need to know that you can reverse it." He yelped and jumped backwards to dodge another of those red spells. "Please! You… I need to stay with him. You have to let me!" He didn't know what he would do without Harry.

The woman looked at him suspiciously. She had ridiculously pink hair and a soft, heart-shaped face. "Why is he so important to you?"

"Because he's mine!" Tony hissed. "I've been by his side for five years, ever since I was nine years old, and I can't… I can't deal with being away from hi-"

Tonks felt slightly bad as she watched the boy drop to the ground. She knew that distracting the boy was the only way he would let them go, but… "Maybe we should take him."

"What? We only came for Harry!" Sirius said. They were here because, by chance, an informant had heard that Voldemort was going after the 'other Potter boy' who was 'homeless somewhere in London'. Snape didn't care to find the particulars out. Smarmy git.

Tonks scrunched up her nose at her cousin. "Didn't you even listen to him? He said they've been together for five years! We want to make a good impression, right? And he never once tried to attack us-"

"He threatened to rip us apart!"

"He thought that his best friend was dead! What would you have done?" she asked. "We should take him. It's the only way that we can gain Harry's trust. He's a street kid. They only trust each other. Besides, he was kept saying that he didn't want to leave Harry. And do you really want to take the chance of not being able to find him again? What if Harry doesn't agree to stay with you if he doesn't have his best friend?"

James didn't like the idea. He didn't like this violent kid near his son at all… however, Tonks did have a point. "Put him in a separate room and handcuff him to the bed. I don't want him near my son any more than he has to be." If Harry asked, he'd let him see Tony. "He's dangerous."

Tonks didn't like it. "He never attacked us. He had several chances to, but he never did." She happened to sort of like the kid. She'd stick up for him.

"It doesn't mean he won't. I agree with James. If we have to take him at all, he should be kept locked up." James and Sirius were less tolerant of differences than Tonks was, but she supposed that had something to do with her being different herself. She could tell this wasn't a bad kid.

"I'll stay with him. Keep watch over him until he wakes up." She could deal with them being biased for now. He was a good kid.

"Good idea! The kid should be watched!" Sirius said, seeming even happier than James to have his godson back. "I don't trust him." And with that, he picked up the small black haired boy, James put his hand on Harry's shoulder, and the small group of people disappeared with a crack.

**AN: Well? What did you think? Please, I'm dying to know if you liked it, if you didn't… Well, I hoped you enjoyed it. I know it's not my best, but it had to be done. Hopefully it will pick up in a bit in the next few chapters. **


	3. Chapter 3

**If I owned Harry Potter, I would be living in a mansion somewhere warm. But no. I'm freezing my ass off here. Enjoy. **

**ALSO! I have decided that this is HarryxMany. Not only Tony, so if that makes you uncomfortable, please don't continue. **

"So. Why did you bring in another child?" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, but he was not happy. Harry was supposed to be secluded and maliable. There wasn't supposed to be another child in the picture.

"Well, he's Harry's best friend," Tonks said, now rethinking her decision to bring the boy here. "I thought Harry would be more comfortable with his best friend here. It would make him feel more at home. Besides, he knows about wizards. I thought maybe he could… help us." Well… Dumbledore supposed that it could be a good thing. Only if the child was magical, and he might be able to gradually separate him and Harry. Especially if they were in different houses. Though, the child would fit well in his plans for now. The boy could always have an… accident… later if need be. Death Eaters were everywhere nowadays.

Dumbledore's grandfatherly grin returned. "That was very good thinking Nymphadora. I'm proud of you for thinking of others before yourself. Your parents have raised you well." And the smile reappeared on her face. These people, so insipid, so sheep-like, they were so easy to please. Easy to make happy and Dumbledore knew that they played right into his hands. "Would you take me to the room that you put him in? I would like to examine him for myself. I want to make sure that the boy isn't someone we should be weary of." Dumbledore didn't care how illegal it was, he was going to go through this boy's head and make sure that he wouldn't cause any problems along the road.

"Oh! Yeah, of course!" Tonks began leading the way the decrepit stairs of Number 12 Grimmauld Place, with Dumbledore, James, and Sirius following behind. "He… he threatened James and Sirius though, he knew about magic, but didn't do anything. He only tried to dodge the stunners we threw at him. I distracted him and James stunned him finally. He was unusually agile. Especially for someone who's as underweight as he is. He barely weighs seventy pounds." He was a bit too skinny, but nekos never weighed as much as humans. "And he's got the most amazing eyes. I watched them flickering back between and forth between purple and blue. And it was really different, too. Do you think he's another metamorphmagus?" She sounded hopeful, and Dumbledore just smiled benevolently. Tonks pushed open the door and let everyone pass. No one had taken off the child's hat.

The boy was still asleep, which was a good thing. Dumbledore knew it would be easier to get into his mind while he was unconscious. No matter how illegal it may be, he needed to make sure that the boy would fit into his plans for Harry.

Dumbledore opened the boy's eyelids with his thumbs and delved into his mind. He easily bypassed the boy's feeble defenses, casually dropping a back door entrance into his mind.

Hmm. Interesting.

_A troubled childhood… Abused… American family… They sold him to a muggle circus when they came here on vacation. Why? … Neko? That's interesting. Explains the weight… He ran away and met Harry when he was nine years old… He and Harry stole quite a bit… but he felt bad about it? Very good. Very good… Hardworking, loyal, logical, intelligent – _

A hand dropped on his shoulder and pulled him away. "What the **hell** do you think you're doing to my Tony?" Blazing green eyes met his and he inwardly cringed. Hopefully the boy wouldn't know magical laws… "We don't want any of your legitimacy here!" Good. He didn't know the laws, but it was interesting that he knew what legitimacy was. "Oh, and don't try to get into my mind. I read a book on it, and I've had several years to perfect my mental walls. Tony didn't want his to hurt people. I'm not so forgiving."

"Harry, my boy, I'm disappointed in you! What would your mother think?" Dumbledore asked. This is not what he had wanted! He'd wanted a naïve child, subservient and malleable! Immediately, Dumbledore knew this was the wrong thing to say. Harry's green eyes turned cold, and Dumbledore could swear he felt a shiver go down his spine, but he was too old for that! He was war-hardened and had much more bravery than this child!

Harry's could see that his glare un-nerved everyone present, and that, he felt was an accomplishment. "My mother gave up all rights to me when she left me on the doorstep of those muggles," he said, his voice incredibly cold and harsh. "She is nothing more than the bitch who gave birth to me. She chose my brother over me for the fame, and if that doesn't tell what kind of person she is, nothing will."

A gasp was heard behind Harry and he turned to face his mother and father, along with his brother. Ugh. "H-Harry?" Lilly asked, feeling rather betrayed. She didn't want Harry to hate her. Honestly, she had thought that leaving Harry on her sister's doorstep was the best thing for him. He wasn't one for the spotlight, after all.

"Speak of the devil and she shall appear," he muttered under his breath, then he turned to Lilly with the biggest smile he could muster. "Hello, mummy dearest! Finally come to see the biggest disappointment of your life?"

"Don't talk to your mother like that!" James reprimanded, glaring at Harry.

Harry sneered at him, sticking up his middle finger before turning back to Tony, not even dignifying that with a response. He sat on the bed and pulled the small boy into his arms, beginning to rub him awake. "Come on, wake up, Tony. Come on, baby boy. Wake up."

"Baby boy?" Sirius murmured to James, a little bit surprised. Not that he minded… too much.

Tony's eyes slowly began to open, and a small smile appeared on his face. A lethargic hand reached up and stroked Harry's face. "Y-You're okay. You're okay." His other hand, which was handcuffed to a bed post, tugged ineffectively. Harry frowned deeper and reached a finger up to the keyhole; a burst of magic later and Tony was free.

"Yeah, did you think that I would be that easy to get rid of? Pretty boy, you know me." He nuzzled the Tony's forehead, laughing as the boy giggled. It made him smile, but meeting everyone's eyes, he supposed he owed them an explanation. His smile died on his lips and he shifted Tony until he was sitting up, facing everyone. "The fuck do you want with us?"

"Language, Harry!" Lilly reprimanded, which brought his attention back to her.

"Try and fucking tell me what to do after abandoning me. Fuck you. _Fuck you!_" he hissed. Hissed. Like a snake. That scared Tony a bit more than anything else that was happening.

Tony bit his lip. "Harry. S-Stop it. You're being mean. You're scaring me. Who… who are these people? Why aren't we back home?"

"Home?" the black haired boy who… well, he actually looked quite a bit like Harry asked. He wasn't as muscled, and he had James's eyes. And he wasn't quite as tall. Five eight or nine, maybe, but definitely not six one like Harry.

"You… You're Ry's brother, aren't you?" Tony knew what Harry had said about his family, and he hadn't liked it. "Which means you're his parents. Are you the ones who hate him? Ry told me that you hate him."

Lilly's eyes teared up. "Harry… Harry we don't hate you. We could never hate you! What made you think that?" Tony's eyes narrowed at her. She should know exactly what made him think that.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe my _dear Uncle Vernon_ screaming it to me as he kicked the life out of me. That I'm a useless son of a bitch and that I should have taken the hint when I found out my parents didn't want me. Course, I was an infant, but that didn't seem to matter to them. Thought I should have known better." He smiled bitterly. "What do you want me for now? Because some Death Eaters are crawling about? They seem to care more about me than you do. Found me a hell of a lot quicker, and you didn't care then. Tony almost died twice – today! And I come in here to find him knocked out and handcuffed to a bed with this old bastard here-" he ignored the indignant shouts at his insolence, "mind raping him? Give me one good reason why I should stay."

"For Tony." Dumbledore, who had been suspiciously quiet throughout all of this, spoke, surprising the boys. "Tony is young, and innocent, and he deserves a stable environment. Do you honestly believe that you can give him that?" Harry was silent, telling him he was right, so he went on. "Stay for a year. If we haven't convinced you that you should stay, then you can go." Not that he'd be letting him.

If looks could kill, Dumbledore would be six feet under. "Leave us," he said coldly. "Leave me and Tony alone." But Dumbledore had gotten to him, and he could no longer be sure of his conviction to leave. Tony… he only wanted what was best for his little neko.

So, with a pointed look from Dumbledore, they left. Harry groaned and fell back on the bed, holding Tony to his chest. "I hate them."

"I-I know. Can we leave?"

Harry breathed out through his nose. "No. No, we can't. I… We have an opportunity here. We don't understand magic. We have the opportunity now. We… we'll stay here for a year, and only a year. Then we'll go home." Tony didn't feel like he was quite telling the truth, but what could he say? Harry had never lied to him, and he never would.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

**AN: I would like to thank you all for being patient with me! I want to make sure to address the lovely reviews I've g****otten. **

**From Randa1: "****perfecto, apenas lei el primer capitulo en la mañana, y veo que en la noche tengo otro mas .. habra otro capitulo el dia de mañana?" ((perfect, just the first chapter I read in the morning and at night I see that I have another one .. there will be another chapter to-morrow?)) **

**Answer: No, I'm afraid not. I have school, and no matter how much I want to, I can't update every day. I'm sorry! But thank you for your review! ((No, me temo que no. Tengo la escuela, y no importa lo mucho que quiero, no puedo actualizar todos los días. ¡Lo siento! Pero gracias por tu comentario! Y lo siento por los errores. He utilizado un traductor porque no sé español.))**

**From Harry1675: I really like this story! But did Tonks, Sirius, or James stun um what's his name Tony? Or did he faint? I'm sorry I got confused there.**

**Answer: James stunned him. I'm sorry for making that unclear. And thank you for your review as well! It makes me happy to know that you've enjoyed this enough to take the time to tell me so ^^**

**From** **robert32514: Hells' gonna break loose**

**Answer: Yes. Yes it will. **


	4. Chapter 4

**If I owned Harry Potter, I would be living in a mansion somewhere warm. But no. I'm freezing my ass off here. Enjoy. **

**ALSO! I have decided that this is HarryxMany. At least two. Not sure who, and how many, but more than one, so if that makes you uncomfortable, please don't continue. **

It wasn't long after the incident with his parents happened that Harry began to feel bad. He had an explosive temper, but he always felt bad about making someone feel shitty about something they'd done. He was just lying with Tony, who had fallen back asleep, when he muttered, "Dammit!" and detangled himself from Tony. He needed to apologize.

Harry dragged his feet on the way to the doorway; he took a deep breath and pushed open the door to the kitchen; all conversation stopped. He stood with his back ramrod straight, knowing he'd best make a good impression, especially if he wanted to stay. Sharp eyes glanced over the weary faces in front of him. He didn't like apologizing in the best situations, much less here. "I want to apologize." The faces morphed into shock, except for Dumbledore and his damn twinkle. "I am not used to waking up in a strange place with strange people, especially when you took Tony from me." He didn't suggest doing that. Tony was the only one who kept him from lashing out and killing people. His moral compass had been deemed not useful on the streets, and had subsequently been ignored until it faded out of existence. Except in matters concerning Tony. He turned to Dumbledore. Then, when I found him, I saw you entering his mind. I did not know if you were hurting him, or if he was okay." He faced his 'family'. "Lilly, in no way was the manner that I spoke to you acceptable. I express my sincerest apologies." After all, they couldn't possibly have seen what would happen to him at the loving hands of his aunt and uncle. After a few seconds of waiting for a reply that they were too shocked to give, he coughed awkwardly into his hand. "Well, I'll just... er.." There was nothing left to do but turn on his heel and walk out. Being cruel and not caring about feelings was so much easier.

A call of "Wait!" halted him in his tracks, though he didn't turn around. "Harry... I... I know that you don't think of me as a mother..." Lilly started. "But please, don't shut us out. We're your family!"

That was the wrong thing to say to Harry. The young man's lips thinned and he laughed bitterly. "Don't use that bullshit excuse on me. Family? Maybe we once were, but you gave up that right when you decided to abandon me so you had more time to spend with Daniel. Your precious Boy Who Lived. I am willing to be on speaking terms with you. Pleasant , even, but we need to get one thing straight. You are not my family. You didn't want me before, and you can't have me now. I have a new family now." His voice softened unintentionally, oddly reminiscent of the boy that James had left at the doorstep of the Dursley. Huh. Harry had thought him dead. "You might want to re-think the word 'family'." He couldn't stand it if they left him again. Before they could say a word, he fled, cursing himself the entire way.

Lilly was almost in tears. Her poor baby! When did he become so jaded and afraid of abandonment that he wouldn't even let her, his mother in? Though, she supposed it was partially her fault. Anyone could see that Harry didn't like the lime-light that his family was always thrust into. They'd thought that this would be best for him, a place where he could quietly grow up with his cousin. Though... maybe she should have checked on him. At least once. She could tell something had happened to him there, and their reactions when the Potters showed up at their doorstep. Harry hadn't been there for two years, at least. They'd dropped him off when he was four... he'd waited for them for four years. Four years before he gave up on them ever coming back. And now... Well. She could certainly understand where he was coming from.

Her other son, Danny, didn't seem to see it the same way. "Well, that was rude. It seems that the street rat can't manage to play nice for five minutes. James and Ron laughed, but Lilly found the joke repulsive. That was her son. Hers.

"Daniel Remus!" she hissed at him, startling the boy. At his shocked face, she softened. Daniel was her son too, and he was the one who was destined to defeat the dark lord. He was more important, and that was the reason they gave up Harry in the first place. "I'm sorry, baby. But that's your brother. Don't talk about him like that."

"Did you hear the way that he talked to you? He might be my brother, but you're my mum. He can't speak that way to you and expect to get away with it!" Daniel said. Lilly sighed. He really was just trying to be sweet.

Lilly smiled at him and quelled the urge to kiss the savior on the top of his head. "I know, sweetie. I know. But he's still trying to get used to us.

It was hard to accept that, but Daniel supposed that there was no other way. So Harry was off limits to tease in front of his mother, but that didn't mean that he was going to stop. Harry ran off and then when they finally got him back, he's an ass to everyone. No, he needed to be taught his place.

**HPTWHPTWHPTWHPTWHPTWHPTWHPTWHPTWHPTWHPTW**

Harry was bored. No, more than bored. He was utterly, completely, mind-numbingly bored out of his sanity! He'd been here for one week. One week of doing nothing and he was so bored that he was contemplating reading! He did enjoy the occasional book, but he'd been looking through these books and they were on nothing but magic and dark arts. And he'd flipped through one of them and was bored within the first five minutes. No torturing or maiming for him, thank you!

So, he did what all kids do when they get bored. He went out. Of course, most teenagers didn't leave at four in the morning with naught but a note to Tony and a plea to keep quiet. And, of course, Tony would acquiesce. He would refuse to say a word.

He smiled softly as he slipped out of Tony's bed. He'd taken to sleeping with the boy so that the headmaster would never have a chance to get inside his head again. He locked the door with four different spells, each that would wake Tony if anyone but he tried to get in, and then he slipped out the door and down the stairs, intent on making it out. And he was lucky. He'd earned their trust by being a good little boy. Apologizing and all that shit. They no longer had guards about everywhere. And so, he made it out easily.

Fresh(ish) London air, oh, it was good to be back.

Tony chuckled as he watched the adults in the room pace. He seemed at ease with them, but inside, he was really tense. He always hated it when Harry left, but this was sort of interesting. It was nice to know where his next meal was coming from. He did feel a little bit bad for them though. They were worrying so much for Harry… "You know, you shouldn't worry so much about him."

Everyone was silent for a long time as they looked at him, and Tony looked at them for a long moment before he realized why they were so surprised, and then he realized that other than a quiet, "thank you" here and there, he hadn't spoken a word to them. Only whispered softly in Harry's ear every so often. "What?" Sirius said, making sure he heard correctly. Tony _never_ spoke. Though he was always kind and mild mannered.

"Harry disappears a lot. He'll sometimes stay gone for days and days. He should come back within two." He never stayed gone for longer than two, but that one day that he spent ten away… well, after that, he kept it down to two. "He'd never leave me alone." Not without some sort of protection from these people. "He doesn't trust you guys yet. Thinks you're going to hurt me." Tony let out a little giggle. "Y-You're too kind for that." He didn't know about his mental walls being breached. Harry hadn't told him.

"Well of course we wouldn't hurt you!" Mrs. Weasley said, a little insulted that Harry would think that little of them. That granted her a smile from Tony.

He loved the people here. He loved the way that Hermione and Ron looked at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking, and the way that Daniel and Ginny skirted around each other. He adored the way that Mrs. Weasley smiled at him slightly every time he murmured a thank you, the way that Lilly's eyebrows would draw together when she was thinking, and the way that James and Daniel and Sirius and Ron would sometimes play pranks on the others. He loved them, and he'd barely spoken ten words to them collectively. "That's what I told him! But, well, he doesn't trust easily, and the way that you brought us here made us kind of weary of all of you." Tony looked up from his hands clasped in his lap. He was horribly shy and he really didn't look into people's eyes very often, but he felt comfortable with these people. "Would… Would you perhaps have any tea? I like the way you make it, Mrs. Weasley."

"Oh, yes, of course! Let me just get up and-" As she stood, Tony stood up as well, feeling sort of guilty for making her get up. He didn't mean to do that, he was just a little thirsty.

"No, no, let me go with you, okay? I didn't mean to put you out of your way." He'd been told he was a burden over and over again, so every time that he asked something of someone, he always felt that he had to prove he wasn't, do as much as he could to help them out. "I really am sorry. Please, don't do anything, I can get it."

Sirius and James put a hand on each shoulder and pushed him back into the plush seat he had just vacated. "Nu-uh, not yet. Molly can get it. You have a lot to account for," Sirius said. "First off, we need to know both of your stories." What happened to his child!?

"I can't tell you Harry's. What little I know is not mine to share." He shifted uncomfortably. "I can tell you mine though. If you like." He'd rather keep everything to himself, but if he couldn't, this was the second best option. Keep it between this group of people. "B-But… I mean, it's personal. I want unbreakable vows that you will not tell anyone without my permission. And no loopholes. I don't want people to know, okay? It… Well, it's… please." Above all else, he had massive self-preservation skills. He knew that he wanted no one to know about this. "And that includes the old man who I woke up with, I don't know his name. Harry doesn't trust him, and he told me not to either."

James and Sirius looked at each other. James said, "Kids, go with Molly. You're not allowed to hear this." They had a feeling that it would be bad. Something wasn't adding up with this. The look in his eyes was haunted, he didn't want to talk about this, and possibly with good reason. Those who'd been tortured by Death Eaters had the exact same look. "Now!" And Lilly shooed the kids into another room. James and Sirius put up a few charms to keep the kids from hearing. "So what happened. Why don't you like taking about whatever happened to you?"

"Why… Why can't this wait until Harry gets home?" He shuffled in his chair and refused to meet either men's eyes. "Why is it so important to you? Do I have to do this?"

"No, because we're supposed to take care of you now, and yes," Sirius intoned. "Tony, c'mon. It's not so bad. It's only me and Jamie here."

"It took me three years to tell Harry anything at all. Even with begging and pleading and puppy dog eyes," Tony said, Harry had the most adorable puppy dog eyes. "But… I suppose that I have to tell you now, don't I?" The warmth and light in his eyes died. "Nekos are born human. We get our power as a blessing from the gods, or so the old story goes. No one knows where we get our powers, but it's rumored in social circles that having a neko in the family means that there's creature blood in the line. I was kept hidden, I was kept isolated, I was kept in the basement from the time I was five years old. That's when a neko's power emerges. Six if you're less powerful.

"By the time that I was six, they threatened to sell me on the black market as a se-" He cut himself off and continued on a new track. "They started beating me. When I was seven, they actually sold me. Not even to a good home like I'd hoped- they sold me to a muggle freak show. I thought- I thought I was worth at least something to them." He looked up at them. "Do you want to see my scars? I can recount the stories of each and every one. Nekos have an uncanny ability for remembering things best left forgotten. Harry's collection is a bit more impressive than mine."

James looked a bit sick. "N-No, no continue."

"Well, when I was eight, I got lucky. My magic came in. I managed to unlock the cage door and slip away into the night. About ten months later, I found Harry, and we've been together ever since." He looked up and noticed a quick quotes quill in the air. His eyes, somehow, looked even more dead. "So it seems Harry was right. I really can't trust anyone here." He stood up and as Sirius grabbed for his shoulder he slipped under his arm with an enraged hiss. "Don't touch me." And then he stalked up to his bed room, locking the door. He wanted Harry back.

**Oh, god, I'm sorry you guys! I've been bogged down with schoolwork and stuff! If I had any time I would have written, and it would have turned out better than this. I finished it at 1:30 in the morning, so be kind, please.**


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